The Agreement •MXM• (Book 1)

What I like you should too

Aaron

Dragging Cyrus to the grocery store is one of the hardest thing I've ever done. He's has a million excuses,a million ways to say no,to say he's busy. I hate that now I know why he has that skill. To reject everyone who tries to be friends with him. Where else could it be from?
He's walking like a slug behind me I turn around to wait for him to catch up- again,"You little brat. You slept in why are you so tired?"maybe if I sound angry he won't notice that I'm actually worried,
"No,I'm embarrassed. To be out in this,"he gestures to his clothes which in my opinion look fine,
"What's wrong with your clothes?"I ask getting a cart to put our stuff in. He points between me and him and realise that,we look alot like each other. My black shorts match his shirt,and my cream sweat shirt matches his pants. I make a noncommittal noise,"Not my fault that I told them to get stuff that looks similar to my clothes."I start to walk away into the store,
"It is your fault you pot of burnt spaghetti,why would you tell them that?"
"Well,the style still suits you. Your short,so cute and pastel clothes fit you quite well. The only thing it's not fitting is your personality,if you learnt some manners,like not yelling in public I'm sure we'll be fine."he looks so mad I think steam is coming out of his ears,
"First don't call me cute,second my personality is just fine. An old man like yourself wouldn't understand."he states and it seems to make him feel like he's on top of the world. The smug face wrestlers make when they win but less out there,
"Old? Oh,you mean the four years you can't seem to get over. I'm not old for your information."
"Sounds like something an old man would say."he says in a sing song tone and I feel like grabbing him and throwing him over my shoulder for the rest of this little outing that's turning into two thirteen year olds fighting.
"Avocado oil or olive oil?"I ask holding both the bottles in my hands,
"I don't know your the cook."he mutters hiding as far away from me as possible,
"Button that better not be you getting moody again. You promised you'd be okay."he doesn't react to me taunting him,he's lost in thought again. Just like he was when we were driving here,"What's wrong?"I whisper and he looks up at me and shakes his head,"Cyrus-"
"I feel like I'm lacking responsibilities right now."
"What?"
"I don't have to pay my tuition anymore."he says numbly like something sucked all the life out of him just now. He takes the two bottles of oil and puts them into the cart,
"What about that?"
"I work two jobs to pay my tuition,to pay off my debts,to afford my rent. Then over night I don't have to do a single one of those things anymore."he sadly pushes the cart along and I feel an unwarranted ache in my chest for him. A need to understand what's happening to him,to sympathise in a way that makes him feel seen. I blame it on the fact that I had to take care of my younger siblings back in the Philippines when my mom was out working hard to provide for us without a dad to support us. Even after I left that need to fix people's problems and to find out what's wrong never left me,
"Shouldn't you feel free. A bit more allowed to do things you want."
"I should. But I don't,what can I possibly want when all I've ever wanted was to get through life and be successful? To feel myself working to get where I'm going,now I feel like I can't do that anymore."he sighs and looks at the cereal aisle,the sugary seriously not good for you section. I drag him back and grab oatmeal,
"Eww,not the grain slushy!"he protests,
"Why? You don't like oats,then what do you like- don't say sugary cereal because that's-"
"Bad for me,I know."he walks back and grabs and reasonable choice. I wonder why he didn't just take that one,"This is my granny's favourite."Note: Cyrus likes to randomly say stuff about his grandmother,
"She a woman of taste."
"Of course,she used to an cake decorator."
"Really? Wait that's off topic we were talking about how you feel."I assert and he slumps his shoulders again,
"Aww poo,I thought I could make you forget."
"No way,I have a great memory. So,why do you feel the need to have a heavy responsibility on your shoulders?"
"First don't psycho analyse me,second I'm not sure. I've always had something like that with me. The need to study,the need to take care of my Nana amd grandpapa before he passed of course. I was fifteen when I had my first job too. Its always been like that so to have it taken away feels less of blessing and more of-"
"Abuse? Like your being stripped of something that you felt was part of your identity?"he nods and I feel a new connection to him blooming inside me. "I think I understand. When I left the Philippines to be here with Mr Brown I started to work for the company. News outlets started calling me things like spare son and Aaron Brown. It felt like having something taken away from me,the right to choose who I am."
"That's the weight of different last names for you. And sorry,I didn't know what that name meant,I won't be using it again."I smile and walk towards him,
"So now you realise how sassy this tongue of yours is."I smack his lips with my palm and he instantly gets rid of the soft expression on his face,
"I hate you."he mutters as he walks away from me,
"I'm sure you'll get used to it soon,it's just a light change."
"What if I said I wanted it back at some point?"tension starts to surround us,a new air of seriousness that I didn't want to find today. I've been enjoying talking to him nicely,it's like I'm still blind about who he is but now I get to slowly feel him out with each conversation. It's funny how quickly he likes to revoke things that feel good,
"What do you mean by that?"
"To pay you and Mr Brown back,and leave. For good."I'm just about to ask a million questions when I hear my name being yelled at an alarming volume,I make sure to store this conversation for later,
"Aaron! What are you doing here? Ah- let me guess buying groceries?"he exclaims,
"What else should a person do in a grocery store Austin?"I ask the my best friend who's always pestering me every time he sees me,
"I don't know buying stuff for animals?"he says with his crooked grin,his blonde curly hair laying lazily in his face,I look behind him to see his cart full of what looks like stuff for his ranch. I grunt but he's lost all interest in me and is more concerned with the awkward looking Cyrus by my side,
"Well if it isn't Aaron's husband."Cyrus smiles and shifts uncomfortably,
"Nice to meet you Austin."he says,
"So you really are southern kid?"he asks and Cyrus seems a little scared,
"You're scaring him."they're both ignoring me,
".. you're southern?"Cyrus' voice takes on a new tone,a tone that sounds much for natural,like he's letting his drawl be its self. Why doesn't he do that with me? Am I not a  safe space? Why does Austin freaking Morgan,get to be that for him,
"As southern as biscuits and gravy,can't you tell?"
"How would I be able to when you spoke like that just now,you have a ranch?"
"Yeah,but this is stuff for my dogs."that exact moment I watch Cyrus' eyes light up like someone put galaxies in them,
"You have dogs? How many? Are they pups?"
"Pups? Nah,they're old boys those ones and the lady of course."
"What breeds?"he seems so happy to be talking about dogs and ignoring me. One is supposed to be my husband and the other has been my best friend since college,what a scam. I cross my arms over my chest,
"Golden retrievers for the boys their brothers by the way,jack Russell terrier for the lady."he says happily,and Cyrus nods a bit too enthusiastically,I stop him before he opens his mou again,
"Oh,dear Cyrus why don't you get the milk before we forget?"although it's obvious that he wants to stay with Austin and talk about dogs he reluctantly turns to go get the milk and I stay there with Austin. "Never do that again."I tell him after I make sure Cyrus is gone,
"Never do what again?"
"Talk to him like that making him forget I exist."I grumble and as always Austin grins that takes his whole face pops up,
"Just as I thought,it's only been a couple weeks and you're already in deep."when I told Austin that I was getting married to someone I hated he said it was only a matter of time before I fell in love. I called crap. He made me make a bet over it and I did,because I was sure. Still am,
"What? No,I just don't want you flashing your teeth all-over him."I supply and he wiggles his brows,
"Don't you go worrying Aaron I won't steal him from you no need to get all jelly."I'm ready to defend my case but Austin gets there before me,"I was just trying to let you know through our conversation with Cyrus that it would be nice if you got him a dog. A cute little rescue pup that you know he'll like. That way he'll like you too."he winks and I grunt,"Sorry I couldn't come to your fake wedding."and at that exact moment Cyrus shows up and looks scared for his life,
"Cyrus."I breath out and he blinks rapidly like there's a bug in his eye,he's panicking,
"Cyrus,he told me back when you two got engaged. So it's a safe secret as long as its with me."
"Oh,I thought-"A pause to look between us,"We couldn't tell anyone."
"We can just make sure it doesn't get out or anything."
"Well,I'll leave you two to your shopping. I got to get home soon,"
"Austin right? Can I come see your dogs.. anytime soon or...?"Cyrus is shifting strangely not carrying himself in the way I'm used to. The one where he doesn't care about anything,right now he just seems like a normal sophomore. I've started to see him more and more through the lenses of how I wished people saw me back when I was in college,and I'm afraid that I won't be able to seen him in any other way now.
"Of course you can,I'm your husband's best friend so by extention I'm yours too. Stop by whenever."then just like that he's gone. He must've forgotten to get food for the dogs for a while,and now he's rushing back.
Me and Cyrus shuffle around in silence curse my memory because I wish I had forgotten what he said. Its ringing in my head,a cursed echo. Pay you back and leave for good. What does that even mean? That he just wants to up and leave that he really wants to pay back all the tuition I paid for? How many things are rolling beneath the surface of this situation,I thought I knew the Browns... I don't apparently.
"You can head back first,I want to get some stuff."Cyrus says pointing to a store in the distance of the mall,
"No,I'll come with you."he frowns at me,"Why? Feeling embarrassed again?"
"No,I bet you will be though. Where I'm going a man like you can't be caught dead there."he whispers in an attempt to sound sinister,
"Hm- now I'm intrigued,what exactly do you mean by a man like me?"I ask,he proceeds to chuckle as though I'm asking an obvious question
"A man who only reads self help books."
"False accusations! I read other stuff..."I counter as I walk beside him heading to whatever store he says I'll hate,
"Oh really? Like what?"he asks
"Autobiographies for example."he laughs at my answer and strangely I don't want to throw him over my shoulder,I just want to enjoy the sound. The small undertone of mischief that laces it,its adorable. I stand there and smile,waiting for him to be done,
"I mean a novel,you big duffus. Do you read any of those?"
"Well... no. I don't have the time to read novels that don't benefit me and my growth as a person."now that I think about it I never had the luxury of sitting somewhere and reading books like that. Mr Brown made sure that things of any entertainment weren't present in the mansion. Part of the reason I moved out,one of the best decisions I made to this day.
"See? You are an old man."he's smiling at me the crooked tooth grin that my heart loves to react to,
"I am not. Besides being in a book store won't kill me."I protest getting into the store with him I take off my glasses and hang them on the hem of my shirt,
"What about the romance aisle?"
"You read romance?"I ask genuinely shocked at this turn of events,
"Yeah,from time to time. There's some good ones now and then."
"How can you read that but not believe in it?"
"Who says I don't believe in love?"
"The way you treat your husband."he snorts and walks into what looks extremely unfamiliar romance aisle. Almost every book on the shelves is pink with little characterised people,"are you sure this is the young adult section this looks like it's for kids."I say squinting at one of the covers,he grabs it from my hands and tsks a couple times,
"Don't be mistaken. This is a very mature book in of itself."
"You mean this has... the deed in it? Doesn't seem like it?"
"You don't seem to be acting your age either. Read the blurb."he instructs and I do. He was right,
"Are you here to buy books or...?"
"No,I'm here to diversify your book shelf. All we need to do is buy three of these and you'll be saved from the trenches of your addiction."
"All these services for free?"
"Quite the good deal,no?"
"Good sir,I'm afraid I won't have the time to read them though."
"Just start one of the real page turners and you'll find time."he says and start picking up books from a pile labelled enemies to lovers and the evil voice in my head start laughing ready to say something absolutely ludicrous. I shake it out before it does,and watch as he diligently picks up and puts down the other. Desperately,I try to figure out his style silently. I fail because I'm too caught up in the way his skin soaks up the sun,like it favors him over anyone else. And his freckles,oh dear skies. And right now you're probably all like Aaron that's enough,get it together buddy. But I think I'll stop fighting the urge to not be attracted to his beauty. No matter how dangerous that is. "This one looks nice."he mutters to me amd I snap out of admiring him,
"Yeah... it looks great."
"How would you know? You've never read any."he's mocking me again and I think I'm crazy because I like it.